The Agora

Nay. Just block the instance for your own account if you feel offended. I wholeheartedly agree with you on the examples you've shown us. However, this does not warrant censorship for one. And on the other side, if no one is able to convince them due to deplatforming, things won't ever get better. Thus: Nay.

I guess I'll be one of the first.

Nay, for now.

Defederation should be the last option. After we have exhausted all other options. Because it's the exchange of ideas, and exposure to other viewpoints, that helps reduce bigotry and hatred.

I'm well aware that a fascist is gonna fascist, no matter what someone tells them. There is no reasoning with them or trying to have a discourse with them because they only want to frustrate you. Those users should be blocked, or better, banned from our instance if possible. But there will be other users of that instance who are regular folk who simply like the idea of free speech. They should not be cut off and left to be turned by the fascists.

Aye.

After reviewing the instance myself, their federation creates risks for this server falling afoul of the Criminal Code of Canada and the Canadian Human Rights Act.

I understand defederation is a nuclear option, and wait anxiously for improved tools for users to block posts from entire instances if so desired, but I see no benefit in our being federated with this specific instance.

Aye. Don't platform dog whistling.

Edit: Actually I had an experience as a result of exploding-heads because I was looking for an Oregon community and came across their oregon one (archive link), which included demonizing homeless and trans people. I ended up blocking it. This isn't just a bandwagon. I don't want others on this instance to be lured into those hateful rabbit holes. I ended up joining the PNW community on lemmy.world

Aye, nothing lost from defederating them

Nay. I don't like what they're doing over there, but I don't think defederating is the right thing to do.

Other people have already said what I was thinking: "Defederation should be the last option", "You have a block list, curate your own filter bubble", "we ourselves have felt what it is like", etc.

Aye.

I had given my reasons previously, but I prefer not to platform bigotry.

If there was a way to reason against this kind of thing, reason could be used.

It can't.

Aye

No, if the users are spamming this server then block them. I don’t like the idea of blocking jerks just cause they’re jerks on their own server

Nay

I think Contextual Idiot said it best - 'Defederation should be the last option. After we have exhausted all other options. Because it’s the exchange of ideas, and exposure to other viewpoints, that helps reduce bigotry and hatred.'

Nay.

Having shitty opinions is not an adequate basis to defederate them. I believe defederation should be a last resort.

There is a very clear way to justify defederation. Namely, if another instance is preventing our instance from flourishing. But unless the server is actively causing harm to our users and communities, why is it necessary? Simply block them if you want.

When people ask me why we defederated them, I would like to have a good answer.

Aye

No.

You are not 'deplatforming' them by de-federating. They still have a platform, they still have communities and they still can post there. You can't deplatform people in a federated social media, they own their own instance. What you're asking is for the site admins to add every EH user and community to the block list of everyone on this instance. I'm an adult, I don't need a Big Brother deciding what I can and cannot see.

Save de-federation for last resort issues that cannot possibly be resolved in any other way. If an instance is spamming, if an instance is being used for planning violence, if an instance is allowing the sharing of abusive images or illegal material, if an instance is coordinating harassment (doxing, SWATing, etc) then de-federate them.

De-federation should not be used to create filter bubbles. You have a block list, curate your own filter bubble. Don't try to enforce your block list on everyone else.

It's also worth noting that, outside of the the 4th and 5th images, none of the posts in those images would even be considered breaking a rule if posted on this instance. You're, for the most part, just posting right-wing posts which makes this appear like you're trying to push a political position.

Aye

Aye, after seeing the pictures this instance could very easily get into trouble for hosting that kind of content. Keep in mind that the site is not hosted in the US, but Canada.

Aye

I'm going to agree with contextual idiot

Nay

Mainly because we ourselves have felt what it is like to be defederation because of others on our instance. There could very well be normal upstairs people hosted on that instance that never interacts with their instances community itself.

If we defederate we risk them getting stuck in an eco chamber and potentially become exactly like the rest of them. And then that also brings up the same issue. The ones that are already bigots, if put into an echo chamber are going to think they are correct and are going to become bigger bigots. We won't ever see it but the people in their day to day life will.

Aye

Aye.

Cut off the diseased branch to save the rest of the tree.

Aye

Aye.

At best it's clickbait trash. At worst it's the garbage OP highlighted.

Nay.

All that stuff is basically 0 comment and 0 up vote. It doesn't look like you would end up stumbling in that stuff as trending or whatnot. Unless your subscribed to it or looking to be offended it looks like a non issue. I've yet to see anything from them other then in these complaint threads.

I'm sure there is offensive content everywhere if you really look for it. Even here hence the whole beehaw thing.

I don't think we should defederate to control what other folks expose themselves to. If they were brigading other instances or butting in to be a direct nuisance that would be a different story.

Aye. Looks like this instance is not very nice.

Nay. Not as long as they aren't causing trouble here. By the way, your screenshots show, among others, a user from this very instance pushing back against their narrative, which is exactly what I would ecourage to do. If they start banning people for simply being critical, then we can have the discussion about defederating again.

Nya. Just block them as I'm blocking stuff that I don't want to see. This function is there for something. Defederating is as extrem as the posts they are making

Aye

Aye

The sooner the better because it's inevitable with our instance's rules

Aye

No. I've never seen an Exploding-Heads user on any other instance except for one guy who made an account purely to dissent on their instance.

EDITED

I've changed my mind. I vote:

Aye.

I initially voted the other way, as I don't agree with the content there, but I didn't think that defederating should be our first action. I still believe that, but this instance has now proved to me that it is extremely toxic. See this post: https://lemmy.world/post/747912

And additionally, many folks will use the fact that we do not defederate from such a community as justification to defederate from us.

Aye, and here's why. Exploding heads are not coming into our space and having discussions in good faith. They are acting as a troll farm and being abusive toward our members, and generally not following the rules of the road laid out for our instance. "Beehaw defederated us and I didn't like it" isn't a valid argument as this is a different situation. Beehaw defederated from here because they couldn't deal with the scale of moderating all the traffic coming from here which including abusive troll accounts. Exploding Heads is going by the alt right playbook and is almost exclusively being abusive, even if it's a small number of people.

And it is noticable. I see some people arguing that individuals who don't like that instance should just block it themselves, but that's not an available function of the threadiverse yet. You're saying that our server at large should endure abuse coming from that server because someday the functionality may be implemented for individuals to handle it themselves. I don't think this is a good moderation strategy and will only allow abusive actors to find foothold.

Aye

Nay. You're gonna encounter these people IRL. It's better to prepare yourself in a low stake environment like an internet forum.

Aye.

Nay.

Aye